All year, the overwhelming sentiment in the housing market has been frustration. Too few homes for sale drove prices sky high and led to fierce competition among buyers, especially at the entry level. So it was a little bit more than surprising to see a sudden burst of optimism among potential homebuyers in a monthly sentiment survey from Fannie Mae. Housing confidence rose in September to match the all-time high set in June. The main driver: a big jump in the share of current renters surveyed saying now is a good time to buy. In addition, the share of those respondents saying they believed home prices would go up in the next year dropped significantly. This, even though respondents continue to say that the main barrier to entry-level homeownership today is high prices. Consumer confidence is good for the time being, but when it shifts, it shifts rather fast and usually effects the real estate market. If you’ve been thinking of selling, the current conditions are in your favor, but won’t last forever